This shock defeat at third placed Bryansburn Rangers naturally brought an air of doom and gloom around the Bangor ground, until there was a collective sigh of relief when news filtered through that Sirocco, too, had also slipped up, losing at home to fourth placed Bloomfield. Thus it's very much, as you were, only with Rathfern's superior goal difference now reduced to plus three.
It was Match number 28 for Rathfern this season, and the first time they failed to score. Manager Ian Bustard maintained afterwards "conditions didn't really help. They didn't help either team, but it meant we couldn't play the sort of football we'd want to, and generally the conditions were a great leveller. We didn't play particularly well, but they weren't any better, but they got that crucial first goal, and then a second just before the end, when we were chasing the game!"
Although facing the elements in the opening session, it was Rathfern who came the closest, with Colin Andrews header demanding a fine fingertip save from the home netminder, who was admittedly fortunate enough in getting his face in the way of a David McCrea effort.
Yet, with the so-called wind advantage, Rathfern were far from unhappy about that blank interval scoreline, but with Andrews plonking an unmarked header wide of the target, they were slow in taking advantage.
Bryansburn, meanwhile, were mostly confined to their own half, but they did venture out on 65 minutes where a player wasn't closed down on the right flank, and when the cross came over, Gary Lovell's miscued clearance fell nicely for the centre forward to ram past the helpless Ken Langley.
Rathfern, as expected, did their best to respond, but again it was Andrews who carried most of the goal threat and he had another effort well blocked by the keeper.
Bustard's Boys, not unexpectedly, had really thrown caution to the wind by the time they were caught by another sucker punch just two minutes from time; Bryansburn fastest to the loose ball after the initial attempt had been superbly saved by Langley.
Even then, McCrea almost staved off that first blank of the season, firing just fractionally wide of the upright.
Next Saturday, Rathfern will hope to get their promotion procession back on track with a trip to Orangefield, which is never the most helpful of surfaces at this time of the season.
Rathfern Rangers; Langley – Phillips (McKay), G Lovell, N Lovell, N Crawford – McCrea, Gardiner, JJ Crawford (Logan), Weir (K McManus) – Andrews, D Moore.